


Rescue

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Series: Red Hood!Dick AU [10]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-07-07
Packaged: 2018-04-08 03:05:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4288347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Crime Syndicate took the Red Hood, and the Robins won't stand for that.</p>
<p>Bruce won't, either.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rescue

**Author's Note:**

> I imagine it would be relatively the same as canon, in that Bruce would still go after him then kick the Syndicate’s butt and stuff. Damian’s alive because why not (let’s pretend ‘Too Late’ didn’t happen yet. Or Damian was brought back already, whatever). I didn’t reread Forever Evil as research, so it’s all hella vague. Fill in spots with what you want. Sorry I suck.

Bruce was lucky to have intercepted them. It was just the four of them, the charge led by Damian of all people, and they had almost made it to the outskirts of the wreckage where they all knew Dick was being held.

“Don’t you dare try to stop us, Father.” Damian hissed, lurching against Jason’s hand that was suddenly on his shoulder. “He wouldn’t stop if it was one of us.”

“I know.” Bruce nodded. “But he would also never forgive me if I let any of you go in there.”

“I’m pretty sure he’s already not forgiving you for a lot of stuff.” Jason countered with a smirk. Bruce didn’t react. “At least let one of us go in there with you.”

“No. Just me. The four of you stay out here.” Bruce looked at each of them. It was clear Stephanie was going to let him go without much of a fight. Tim was still thinking over the best options. Jason and Damian, however, were a different story.

Jason crossed his arms, inhaling to argue even as Damian started. “But Father-”

“I’ll get him back.” Bruce swore, putting a hand on Damian’s shoulder. “I _promise_. Just…” he shifted his hand up to hold Damian’s face. “You all stay safe out here in the meantime, okay?”

Damian glared at him silently, but he could see the boy’s concern for him too. The child scoffed as Jason tugged him backwards. “You’ve got an hour, B. _One_ _hour_ to get the Red Hood out of there.”

“Or we’re coming for you both.” Tim finished. Stephanie nodded confidently beside him.

~

Despite the past year, despite all the turmoil the two have put each other through, Bruce felt his heart tighten at the sight. Dick, beaten and bloody, hooked up to heavy machinery that apparently controlled an intense bomb.

“Dick…”

The man looked up, eyes bleary. Slowly, a grin washed across his face as Bruce approached. “A little ironic, isn’t it?”

Bruce reached out, attempting to get a sense of how to take the machine apart.

“I spend all my time protecting those brats.” Dick breathed a laugh. “And here I am getting myself captured.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Bruce wouldn’t look up at him, and he ignored the presence of Catwoman and the others behind him. He just focused on the wires. “I’m going to get you out.”

“Don’t bother.” Dick mumbled. “I died before, I can do it again. At least this time it’ll be saving a couple thousand people.”

“Shut up.” Bruce barked. “I’m _getting you out_.”

“Bruce-”

“I said shut _up_.” Bruce snapped, grabbing onto Dick’s arms as he glanced up at his face. “You don’t get a choice in this.”

“Batman, you might not have one either.” Catwoman said gently, taking hold of his elbow.

“On the contrary,” Luthor called from behind them. “Might I make a suggestion?”

~

Damian was pacing, Tim was bouncing his leg and Jason was doing that weird thing where he stared without blinking. Stephanie sighed. “Come on, guys. Batman’s still got time. He’ll get him.”

“He has four minutes and thirty-one seconds to go.” Tim supplied. “And we haven’t heard anything, not even an announcement that someone’s been captured or spotted.”

“I say we go in now, then.” Damian said. “It would give an element of surprise, both to Father and the enemy.”

“No.” Jason ordered. “We said one hour. We’re gonna give the old man one hour.”

Stephanie rolled her eyes, though in the process caught something in her periphery. She turned her head and grinned at the sight. It was Bruce, half-carrying a very uncoordinated Dick Grayson, surrounded by the other heroes he’d gone in with. “Not even necessary, boys. What’d I tell you?”

Tim was running towards them before Jason had a chance to look, Damian not far behind him. In a single motion, Tim swooped under Dick’s free arm, supporting his other side. Damian halted in front of them, walking backwards as Bruce continued the troop forward, throwing insults and accusations that they all knew was born from worry and fear.

“What do you think?” Stephanie whispered to Jason as they sat Dick on the ground, and Tim started inspecting Dick’s injuries while Bruce loomed. “Think this is the start of…I don’t know, reconciliation between B-man and Hood?”

“Probably not.” Jason admitted, relief evident in his voice. “The hurt those two caused each other goes a lot deeper than what one rescue can fix. But it’s…well it’s something. I don’t know what, exactly, but something.”

They watched as Dick laughed, albeit painfully, as he pulled Tim and Damian into an awkward hug. When the younger boys were settled against him, he reached up, taking hold of Bruce’s fingers in thanks. The ghost of a relieved smile crossed Bruce’s face for an instant, before disappearing once more.

“Yeah,” Stephanie smiled as she and Jason made their way forward. “Something.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Other Red Hood!Dick stories.](http://fishfingersandjellybabies.tumblr.com/tagged/Redhood%21Dick+au)


End file.
